


Sleepy Merlin

by Arent_we_all_nerds



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23948089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arent_we_all_nerds/pseuds/Arent_we_all_nerds
Summary: Arthur is mad at Merls, but he can't stay mad at that beautiful face for too long..
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	Sleepy Merlin

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by a drawing of the very talented artist Maryluis, go check them out! https://maryluis.tumblr.com/post/616449552242851840/medieval-doodles-thank-you-ss2695-and-johanna  
> 

‘We should camp here, it’s already getting dark and we’re both very tired. I’ll take the first watch.’ Merlin said whilst sliding off his horse and taking all their camping stuff. He laid down some blankets and dropped to the ground. Arthur nodded and, surprisingly, went to get some firewood. 

Merlin looked at the moon.  
‘Look, Arthur. look at how bright the moon is tonight,’  
Arthur grumbled something that Merlin couldn’t make out and he looked at the king. It seemed as if he had already fallen asleep, tired of that day. They had just returned from some far off village, checking on life there, and were close to Camelot. Tomorrow they would ride all day and reach Camelot by the fall of the evening, but first they had a long night ahead of them. 

After 2 hours it was time for Merlin to wake up Arthur, but he looked so peaceful and rested that he decided that he could stand guard for another hour. Merlin watched Arthur as the fire died out and everything became black, in spite of the bright moon. Merlin’s eyes kept slowly closing and Merlin fell asleep every few minutes, only to wake up startled. Eventually he fell asleep and dreamed a very bizarre dream:

In the dream he saw Gwen and Arthur break up and this made him have a happy feeling? Which was weird, because he should be sad, right? After a collision of colours so bright it hurt his eyes, he landed in a very different scene, again this time he saw Gwen, in a different dress, but with.. Morgana? They we’re having a picknick and they were laughing and they looked so happy, as if Morgana had never betrayed them. Merlin was suddenly back at the castle and everything seemed normal, he saw Arthur standing at a market stall (why was he standing there?) and he walked up to him. When Arthur noticed him he smiled and waved. ‘Merls! There you are! I started to worry that you had lost yourself in the forest or something.’ He pulled Merlin in his arms and kissed his forehead. 

Just as Merlin wanted to ask Arthur why he was acting so strange (not that Merlin minded), he woke up to a neighing horse, he heard Arthur’s voice but couldn’t make out what he was saying. Sitting up too fast, Merlin couldn’t see anything. When his sight had finally cleared, he could see someone riding a horse in the distance, wait.. not just some horse, that the horse he often rode! He tried to stand up but Arthur pushed him down.

‘MERLIN! Are you even listening to me? You let someone steal one of the horses you idiot.’

‘Uh what? Oh I’m sorry I must have fallen asleep..’

‘Well yes, it seems like it huh! It also seems you will have to walk all the way back to Camelot, you clot pole.’ 

‘I let you sleep an extra hour and now I have to walk home? How’s that fair? Oh and also,  
clot pole is my word.’

‘Yes indeed, your word, it suits you.’

They packed all their stuff, this time only on one horse and left the camping spot to head back to the castle. Arthur riding the horse, Merlin walking beside it. 

Arthur kept quiet, still mad at him, which gave Merlin some time to think. He remembered the weird dream he had about Gwen, Morgana, Arthur and… ‘Merls’ what a weird nickname. Arthur had never called him that, or any other nicknames before (except for idiot, or clot pole). With every step Merlin took, it felt as if his whole body got heavier and heavier, and he was so tired that he couldn’t even keep his thoughts straight (make of that what you want). He had slept this night, yes, otherwise Arthur wouldn’t be mad right now, but he had, at the most, slept for 3 hours, which definitely was not enough to walk on all day. 

After walking for a very long time Merlin’s knees gave up and he fell to the ground. Arthur quickly dismounted to check up on him. He might be mad at Merls but it was still his best friend and the person he cared about the most in the whole kingdom. Merls.. a nickname he had given Merlin over the past few years. He only called him by that name in his head, because Merls himself ofcourse wasn’t allowed to know. 

He hooked his arms under the passed out Merlin and put him on the horse. Merlin opened his sleepy eyes as Arthur mounted the horse again and glanced over his shoulder. Merlin looked at him quizzically. ‘You can’t walk anymore, if we had 2 horses we would have reached Camelot by now, so we’re both riding this horse, praying it won’t fall under our weight,’ Merlin answered with a sleepy nod and his hair fell in his eyes. ‘but don’t you think of touching me for one second, or you’re walking again.’

It was slowly getting darker already and the first few stars showed their face. Merlin had been able to stay awake and upright for about half an hour until he finally passed out into the land of dreams. After a while Arthur felt a light weight in the shape of a body lean into his back.

‘MERLIN! What did I just say about not touching!’

When he didn’t get a response he turned his head to see Merls’ beautiful face and messy hair and he couldn’t be angry anymore. Besides, it wasn’t as if that horse was that important, they had lots of horses at the castle, and the horse would probably have nice peaceful life out of Camelot. Merlin made a sleepy noise and nudged his head a little deeper into Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur felt his cheeks burn and something in his stomach flutter. He encouraged the horse to ride a little faster and as the warm wind blew through his hair he thought of Merlin. His Merls.

**Author's Note:**

> I hoped u liked it!  
> consider leaving a comment ;)


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